Japan's Contributions to Kosovo

October 23, 1998

The Kosovo issue has made a great step toward a political solution with the agreement by the Government of Yugoslavia to the full implementation of relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and the establishment of an international system for verifying the implementation of the agreement.
      Japan will continue to make a positive contribution to the efforts of the international community for a political solution of the Kosovo issue. At the same time, Japan will extend substantial humanitarian assistance to the Kosovo refugees and internally displaced persons who are confronted with dire conditions with the approach of winter.
      Furthermore, Japan will extend economic cooperation to the neighboring countries to assist their nation-building, for the purpose of preventing the spill-over of this conflict.
      Taking account of the report of the recent Kosovo survey mission and subsequent developments, Japan decided to make the following contributions:

1. Contribution to the Process for a Political Solution
   
   

   (1)

   Contribution through the U.N. Security Council and the G8       Japan has been playing a positive role in the efforts of the international community for solving the Kosovo issue as a member of the U.N. Security Council and the G8. It will continue this contribution.

   (2)

   Cooperation with the OSCE Kosovo verification mission       The OSCE has sent a verification mission to observe how the Yugoslav government is implementing the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, which has already started a part of its activities. Japan will study what contribution it can make to the mission as the OSCE has requested the international community to cooperate with the mission.

   
   
2. Humanitarian Assistance to Refugees and Displaced Persons
   
   

   (1)

   Contribution in response to the U.N. Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal       Japan has so far extended assistance totalling 2,310,000 dollars to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (JCRC) to provide relief for the refugees and internally displaced persons of Kosovo. In response to the recent consolidated appeal by U.N. humanitarian organizations, Japan will extend further assistance totalling approx. 7,300,000 dollars through the UNHCR, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and others. (The appeal covers the amount of assistance necessary until the end of this year, totalling approx. 54 million dollars.)

   (2)

   Grant assistance for grass-roots projects       From a humanitarian point of view, Japan will actively extend assistance for the refugees and internally displaced persons through this framework by extending financial assistance to medical and educational organizations in Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and to NGOs.

   
   
3. Cooperation with Neighboring Countries
   
         The Government of Japan has been supporting the nation-building of neighboring countries (Macedonia and Albania) so as to contribute to the peace and stability of the region of the former Yugoslavia.
         From the standpoint of achieving a political solution to the Kosovo issue, assistance for the stabilization of those countries, especially for the political stability and economic reconstruction of Albania, is exceedingly important. In light of the significance of cooperation for those two neighboring countries, and considering the current situation in them, the Government of Japan will extend appropriate assistance by using its economic and technical cooperation schemes.